Clothes-line adjuster.



A. L. FLINT. CLOTHES LINE ADJUSTER. APPLICATION FILED APR.14, 1913.

1,085,559. Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

muewho'z COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH 120.. WASHINGTON. D4 C.

ALVIN L. FLINT, OF BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK.

CLOTHES-LINE ADJUSTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April .14, 1913.

Patented Jan. 27, 1914. Serial No. 761,081.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIN L. FLINT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes- Line Adjusters, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in clothes line adjusters, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby the tension in the clothes line or similar rope normally tends to force the clamping jaws into an operative position so as to prevent slipping of the line through the clamp, although the free end of the clothes line can be drawn through the adjuster to tighten the line and the same can be locked in an open position to admit of a free movement of the line between the clamping jaws in either direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clothes line adjuster which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its can be readily applied construction, which to a clothes line as well as other ropes, and which can be readily locked in an open position to permit of a free passage of the line in either direction between the clamping jaws.

With the above and other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangements of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a clothes line adjuster constructed in accordance with the invention, showing the same in operative position. Fig. 2 is a similar view,

showing the position assumed by the parts when the adjuster is locked in an open position. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the clothes line adjuster, the parts being in the position shown by Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the main clamping lever. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the cooperating clamp ing lever, and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View of an endless clothes line, showing the manner of applying the clothes line adjuster thereto. 7

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 designates the main clamping lever which is provided at an intermediate portion in its length with the pivot opening 2. The upper end of the said main lever has a bail 3 piv otally connected thereto in some suitable manner, as by means of the bolt 4, while the lower end of the lever is curved rearwardly at 1 to provide a handle and terminates in the laterally projecting hook member 5. An intermediate portion of one side of the main clamping lever l is provided with a series of transverse serrations 6 which provide a clamping face for engagement with the line. The cooperating clamping lever 7 is comparatively short and is provided at an intermediate point in its length with a pivot opening 8. The upper end of the cooperating or supplemental clamping lever 8 is formed with an enlarged and forked head 9, while the lower end of the supplemental clamping lever is formed with a serrated cam shaped clamping or rope engaging face 10.

The main clamping lever l and supplemental clamping lever 7 are loosely connected by means of a pair of links 11, the said links being fitted against opposite sides of the said levers and being connected thereto by means of suitable pivot bolts 12, one of the bolts 12 passing through the pivot opening 2 of the main clamping lever 1, while the opposite bolt passes through the pivot opening 8 of the cooperating or supplemental clamping lever 7. The two clamping levers are thus loosely connected so that they can readily adapt themselves to the swinging and shifting positions of the line.

The clothes line is indicated by the character A, one end thereof being permanently connected at l3 t0 the bail or clevis 3 of the main clamping lever 1, while the opposite end of the line is received within the guide notch in the forked head 9 of the supplemental clamping lever 7 and threaded between the clamping faces of the two levers. By pulling upon the free end of the line A the said line may be readily drawn between the clamping levers for the purpose of tightening the clothes line or taking up slack therein. It will be obvious, however, that as soon as the free end of the clothes line A is released, the tension in the body portion of the line will tend to swing the upper ends of the two clamping levers away from each other and thereby force the clamping face 6 of the main lever 1 and the opposed cam shaped clamping face 10 of the supplemental lever 7 into engagement with the line. end of the line will thus be securely gripped and prevented from slipping rearwardly through the clamp. As indicated by Fig. 6, the clothes line A is preferably of an endless formation, passing around suitable guide members or pulleys 14. The present types of line adjusters and clamping devices are arranged in the lower portion or run of the line, and when the line is empty are initially at the end where the clothes are hung, thus as the line is gradually being filled and each garment is passed away from the operator to bring a fresh portion of the line into reach, the old type of adjuster advances toward the opposite pole where it is out of reach of the operator after the line is completely filled with garments. Therefore, the old method gives the operator no control of the garment laden line. However, the present invention provides a device that is placed in the upper run of the line so that when the same is empty the adjuster is out at the pulley farthest from the operator, and as the lower line is gradually filled with garments the adjuster is advanced toward the operator until it is within reach so that the line can be easily lowered or adjusted to the desired position, and at all times be under control of the operator.

It frequently becomes desirable to lock the adjuster in an open position so as to permit of the continuous free passage of the line through the clamp in either direction for an appreciable length of time. For this purpose it is merely necessary to grasp the curved lower extension 1 of the main clamping lever 1 and swing the same rearwardly so as to open the jaws of the clamp and then engage the hook 5 with the body portion of the line A. The clothes line adjuster will then be locked in an open position, as indicated by Fig. 2, and the free end of the line can be readily drawn through the adjuster in any direction. Should the line be high from the ground, or for other reasons not accessible, the adjuster may be locked in an open position and permitted to pass beyond the reach of the operator without danger of the clamping faces being again brought into an operative engagement with the line until after the adjuster has been released. here an endless clothes line is used, the garments frequently become wrapped around both the upper and lower portions of the line, and under such condi- The free tions the adjuster can be locked in an open position and the line paid out until the same is within reach of the operator on the ground, thus permitting the garments to be unwrapped and removed in the ordinary manner, while standing on the ground and the clamp again released and permitted to engage the line as the slack therein is taken Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s:-

1. A clothes line adjuster including a main clamping lever provided with a clamping face, means for connecting a line to one end of the main clamping lever, a cooperating clamping lever formed at one end thereof with guide means for the line and also formed with a clamping face adapted to cooperate with the clamping face of the main lever to grip the line between the same, a link connection between the two levers, and means upon one of the levers for engaging the line to lock the clamp in an open position.

2. A clothes line adjuster including a main clamping lever provided upon one side thereof with a clamping face, one end of the main clamping lever being provided with a hook, means for connecting the opposite end of the main clamping lever, a cooperatin clamping lever formed with a clamping face to cooperate with the clamping face of the main clamping lever to engage the line, and a link connect-ion between the two clamping levers, the hook at the end of the main clamping lever being adapted to be brought into engagement with the line to lock the clamp in an open position.

8. A clothes line adjuster including a main clamping lever provided upon one side thereof with a clamp-ing face, one end of the said lever being laterally curved and terminating in a hook, means for connecting the line to the opposite end of the said main clamping lever, a cooperating clamping lever provided at one end thereof with guide means for the line and at the opposite end thereof with a cam shaped clamping face adapted to cooperate with the clamping face of the main lever to engage the line, and a link connection between intermediate por tions of the two clamping levers, the tension in the line normally tending to throw the clamping levers into an operative position, while the hook at the end of the main lever is adapted to be brought into engagement with the line to lock the clamp in an open position.

4:. A clothes line adjuster including a main clamping lever provided upon one of its sides with a clamping face, one end of the lever being curved and terminating in a laterally projecting hook, a clevis at the opposite end of the main clamping lever for enline to the gagenient With one end of the line, a 00- operating clamping lever provided at one end thereof with a forked head adapted to serve as a guide for the free end of the line and also formed at the opposite end thereof with a cam shaped clamping face adapted to cooperate with the clamping face of the main lever to grip the free end of the line, and a pair of links applied to opposite sides of the two levers and pivotally connected to the respective levers at intermediate points in the length thereof, the tension in the line normally tending to swing the levers about their pivots to throw the same into operative position, While the laterally projecting hook at the end of the main clamping lever is adapted to be brought into engagement With the line for looking the clamp in an open position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALVIN L. FLINT.

Witnesses:

A. D. TRUAX, EMORY L. GEOFF.

M Oopieu of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C." M 

